Chowdah

Clam chowder generates strong opinions. Adding tomatoes to
clam chowder in place of cream (making it “Manhattan-style”) was at one
point so contentious that, in 1939, the Maine state Legislature
introduced a bill to ban the practice.

Portland chowder
purists will be pleased with Chowdah. Chris Langley, owner and chef at
the Sellwood food cart, spent 26 years living just north of Boston. In
the heart of New England, where local parlance drops R’s altogether
(hence the name), clam chowder is made with a rich, creamy base. “I
absolutely refuse to make Manhattan clam chowder,” Langley says.
“Especially after the Giants beat my Patriots again.”

Langley’s chowder,
which took home a top prize in Lompoc’s annual Chowder Challenge in
2006, is creamy without being stew-thick, and pleasingly salty. It
boasts all the standard ingredients—onions, potatoes, celery and tender
clams—as well as the all-too-Portland addition of bacon, which adds a
subtle smokiness.

Keeping with the
Northeastern theme, Langley also grills up Philly cheesesteaks topped
with traditional American cheese. While it might have been a good
sandwich, all I could taste was the tongue-coating slime of processed
cheese. If you need a sandwich to complement your soup, opt for the
“Killah Grilled Cheese,” which comes on bread from Marsee Baking and can
be customized with a variety of cheeses and toppings.

Langley offers a soup
du jour as well, such as a tasty roasted red pepper bisque. But the
reason to go is the wicked good clam chowder.